Marianne Faithfull : Dangerous Acquaintances 1981

Few stars of the '60s have reinvented themselves as successfully as Marianne Faithfull. Coaxed into a singing career by Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham in 1964, she had a big hit in both Britain and the U.S. with her debut single, the Jagger/Richards composition "As Tears Go By" .

Considerably more successful in her native land than the States, she had a series of hits in the mid-'60s that set her high, fragile voice against delicate orchestral pop arrangements .

Not a songwriter at the outset of her career, she owes more of her fame as a '60s icon to her extraordinary beauty and her long-running romance with Mick Jagger, although she offered a taste of things to come with her compelling 1969 single "Sister Morphine," which she co-wrote (and which the Stones later released themselves on Sticky Fingers).

In the '70s, Faithfull split up with Jagger, developed a serious drug habit, and recorded rarely, with generally dismal results. This occurred until late 1979, when she pulled off an astonishing comeback with Broken English .

Displaying a croaking, cutting voice that had lowered a good octave since the mid-'60s, Faithfull had also begun to write much of her own material, and addressed sex and despair with wrenching realism.

After allowing herself to be framed as a demure chanteuse by songwriters and arrangers throughout most of her career, Faithfull had found her own voice, and suddenly sounded more relevant and contemporary than most of the stars she had rubbed shoulders with in the '60s.

Faithfull's recordings in the '80s and '90s were sporadic and erratic, but generally quite interesting .

" Dangerous Acquaintances " seemed to be moving back to more mainstream rock territory, particularly in the arrangements. It's always a possible sign of trouble when there are over a dozen session musicians in the credits, and much of the record's music has a sort of anonymous feel.

                                                                    
The songs, too, are less striking (and less angrily risque) than those of Broken English, although Faithfull was still carving her own identity with lyrics about romantic duplicity. The most commercially accessible track, "For Beauties Sake," was co-written by Faithfull and Steve Winwood( Blind Faith,Traffic).
                                                                          
" Strange Weather ", a Hal Willner-produced 1987 collection of standards and contemporary compositions that spanned several decades for its sources, was her greatest triumph of the decade.

In 1994, she published her self-titled autobiography : The biography "As Tears Go By" by Mark Hodkinson is an objective and thorough account of her life and times.

Faithfull returned to recording in 2002 with " Kissin' Time ", an eclectic collection of songwriting collaborations with Beck, Damon Albarn, Billy Corgan, Jon Brion, and Jarvis Cocker, among others.

In 2004, Before the Poison was released in the U.K., making its entrance into the U.S. market in early 2005. This album continued in the vein of its predecessor, with songwriting and production contributions from PJ Harvey, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Brion, and Albarn, but with far more consistent results.

Faithfull and Willner released " Easy Come Easy Go " in 2008, an all new collection of typically eclectic covers from the likes of Morrissey, the Decemberists, Billie Holiday, Black Rebel Motorcycle, and Dolly Parton.

Faithfull and Willner re-teamed for 2011's " Horses and High Heels ", a collection of covers and originals recorded at the famed Piety Street studio in New Orleans. The album features the talents of local musicians including renowned guitarist John Porter, as well as cameos by Dr. John, Lou Reed, and Wayne Kramer.

   TRACKS

  01.   Sweetheart  (Marianne Faithfull, Barry Reynolds) 
  02.   Intrigue  (Ben Brierley)
  03.   Easy in the City    (Faithfull, Reynolds) 
  04.   Strange One   (Joe Mavety, Terry Stannard) 
  05.   Tenderness   (Faithfull, Reynolds) 
  06.   For Beauty's Sake  (Faithfull, Steve Winwood) 
  07.   So Sad   (Faithfull, Reynolds, Steve York) 
  08.   Eye Communication   (Faithfull, Reynolds, Fuzzy Samuel, Stannard) 
  10.   Truth, Bitter Truth  (David Courts, Faithfull, Reynolds) 

                                                               

     INTRIGUE   LYRICS

Intrigue  surrounding me
Intrigue  surrounding you
I was only looking for a bit of harmony and grace,
I swear I only meant it in good faith.

In league  enfolding you
Fatigue   I feel it, too.
I guess I never thought I had a thing or two to lose,
I never thought I’d end up as good news.

Believe in what you hear.
Concede to what you fear.
And if you think that I have so much love to go to waste,
Cut out the running home, make the pace.

Intrigue  surrounding me  you
Intrigue  surrounding you  me
I was only looking for a bit of harmony and grace,
I swear I only meant it in good faith.

And if you think that I have so much love to go to waste,
Cut out the running home, make the pace.

Intrigue
Intrigue
Intrigue


Who is he — do you know ?
This man of power but a fool.
They said he was so high and pure,
They also said that he was cruel.

Year  :  1981
Format  :  Vinyl  LP
Label  :  Island Records - WEA
Made in  :  Greece





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